11/21/2004 | Budweiser

A UKRAINIAN-AMERICAN TECHNOLOGY GROUP MOBILIZES
THOUSANDS OF UKRAINIANS TO HELP REDUCE FRAUD AND
ABUSE IN THE UPCOMING PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION

Article Editor: Carly Zander, News from Send2Press Newswire
Torrance, CA, Friday, November 19, 2004

KYIV, Ukraine - With onset of the second round in Ukraine's 2004
presidential election, Maidan (http://eng.maidanua.org) - the leading on-
line provider of political news in Ukraine - has become critical catalyst
drawing thousands of its readers directly into Ukraine's election process.
These readers have become civic activists having signed up online to
serve as election workers, independent observers and field reporters.
"People usually learn about us from the Internet, but later they quickly get
involved with like-minded people throughout the country," says one of
Maidan's co-founders, Mr. Mykhaylo Svystovych.
The website was established four years ago in Ukraine - a country where
only ten percent of its citizens has Internet access. Immediately, the site
became widely popular with its monthly audience growing to 250,000.
Maidan provides continuous and timely political reports and analysis along
with topical forums and regional civic organizational initiatives for the
site readers' participation.
During 2004, Maidan's network of volunteers increased in number
dramatically and continues to grow. Dozens of volunteers living in Ukraine,
the U.S., Canada, Great Britain, Germany, the Czech Republic, Poland,
Australia, and Russia, gather field reports, translate real-time news,
conduct interviews and analyze data.
Maidan is one among the very few free media enterprises in Ukraine that
has survived the government's ongoing repressions of independent press,
TV and radio stations, which intensified following the murder of prominent
investigative journalist and Internet publisher Georgiy Gongadze in 2000.
Following Georgiy Gongadze's death hundreds of thousands of previously
indifferent Ukrainians started seeking ways to actively engage in the
political process. They looked for contact with political and civic interest
groups eager to bring the country closer to democracy.
"Maidan provides a virtual meeting place for individuals where they could
find expression for their social and political energy. When they are ready
for more substantial involvement in politics, we refer them to various local
NGOs, PACs, and political parties depending on their interest," says Mr.
Volodymyr Martyniuk, a co-founder of Maidan.
"We have substantial support in many communities, as people often trust us
more than brick-and-mortar NGOs, PACs, and political parties. Our NGO
serves the public with individual attention over the long-term, assisting
them to help their local communities by using world class technology to
support the processes we have," Mr. Stefan Seitz, Maidan's project
manager claims. Online civic activism is booming in Ukraine.
For more information, please visit us at http://eng.maidanua.org or email
us at forum@maidanua.org Contacts for Grassroots Info Center Maidan:
Mr. Stefan Seitz, Tel: 380 (066) 243-5008; (English, Ukranian, Russian)
Mr. Myhaylo Svystovych, Tel: 380 (50) 310-4698
(Ukrainian or Russian language only)